August 3, 2011 -- The Electoral Commission chairman, Mr Hendrick Gappy, and three of its members, Mr Bernard Elizabeth, Mr Beatty Hoarau and Mrs Marie-Thérèse Purvis, were sworn into office at State House yesterday.

They took their Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution and their Oath of Office in the presence of the President of the Republic, Mr James Michel.

The ceremony was attended by the Vice-President, Mr Danny Faure, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Patrick Herminie, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Mr Frederick Egonda-Ntende, the President of the Court of Appeal, Mr Francis MacGregor, and the Attorney General, Mr Ronny Govinden.

President Michel congratulated the chairman and members of the Electoral Commission on the start of their new functions, as the first constitutional body of its kind.

"You are the Seychelles' first Electoral Commission, the result of the evolution of democratic practice and good governance in our young democracy. The people of Seychelles have great expectations of you. Now that you have taken office, and following the dissolution of the National Assembly in July, your first task will be the organisation of the legislative elections. This period will be an important test of the commission's capacity to organise the elections with efficiency, integrity and fairness. I wish you every success in your endeavours ," said President Michel.

The President appointed the Electoral Commission on Thursday 28th July, following the nomination of persons by the Constitutional Appointments Authority (CAA) in accordance with Article 115A of the Constitution. All the appointees had applied to the CAA to be considered for the post.

The fourth member of the Electoral Commission, Mr Gerard Lafortune, is currently overseas and will be sworn in at a later date.